Gainey Wins Top Female Award

I bet I can tell you where Rocky Mount's High's Gainey family will be next Thursday night during the NCHSAA awards night at the Dean E Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Pam Gainey Rocky Mount High school girl's basketball coach will be receiving the Doris Howard Award at the Top Female High School coach in North Carolina.

Gainey a Goldsboro native took her basketball skills to ECU where she won the Academic Award as well as best defensive player award her senior year playing for the Pirates.  So now you can tell why Pam loves to get her girls to play defense so much she is an expert having  played that way during her playing career.

Gainey came to the Rocky Mount  schools system in 1989 and took over the reins of the girls basketball program in 1994.  Her career total wins stand at 391 which is good for an average of 18.6 wins a season while losing 169 or about 8 per year.  She has had 10-20 wins seasons including one Regional final game.

She has coached in the East-West high school All Star game in Greensboro as well as she has been on the sidelines coaching the NC-SC basketball Classic held every year in Myrtle Beach.  She is married to Gryphon athletic director Michael Gainey making one of the few combo's in North Carolina high schools where the wife/husband coach their schools basketball teams.  Of course the two Gainey Children  MJ a former member of the Gryphon 2012 state Champion basketball team and Michelle a rising junior at Rocky Mount where she will be playing her third year of varsity basketball.  You think this is a basketball family or what?

Benton Moss has won the Jim Tatum Memorial Award given each year at the University of North Carolina to the student athlete who has performed in his sport with distinction and has contributed to the university community through constructive activities participation.  He has also been chosen as one of the top ten student athletes through having one of the top grade point averages.  Moss is a double major in business and economics at UNC.

You know there are times when school systems make judgement  calls about whether to have school or not base on the weather forecast.  Surely looks as if it was a great call moving the Northern Nash/Rocky Mount and Southern Nash/ Nash Central  sports that were schedule for Friday all the way up to Wednesday.

There was no way any game could have been played Thursday and now even Friday was eliminated as Fike and Hunt chose to wait out the weather and they lost. Baseball and softball between the two schools were rained out both Thursday and Friday forcing a baseball game Saturday afternoon at 2pm and softball at 3pm.

The risk moving up any game because of the weather especially when it is the top rivals meeting each other the risk is great of fans who would normally be there on the regular night  didn't hear about the change or something else was scheduled  where they couldn't make the new time.

Rocky Mount had a great gate Wednesday and the impact on the baseball game by the fifth inning included all the softball watchers who stayed to see the end of a very close baseball game.  If the sun shines as the weather forecast calls for I doubt there will be many other than mamas and papas watching Saturday afternoon when Hunt and Fike clash.  There might be more coaches scouting baseball and softball teams  from the Big East since the Big East Tournament starts Monday in both sports.

Two Big East Football Players Invited to East-West

Only two football players from the Big East were invited to play in this years' East -West All-Star game July 22nd  in Greensboro during the high school coaches association meetings.  Southern Nash's Aramans Martin and Fikes Anthony Evans will be going from the Big East.  No players for any of the three Rocky Mount High schools were invited.

The Big East boys player of the year in basketball Josh Willingham of Hunt will be invited  to play in the basketball  East -West All Star game but the rosters have not been announced as of yet.   He has also signed to play college basketball at Louisburg College.  The girls player of the year Kiana Thomas of Northern Nash is heading to play at Howard University.  Tristan Marshall of Northern Nash has been chosen to play in the All Star soccer game which will be in played on July 22nd  in Greensboro.

Tuesday was the first round of the boys Duel tennis championships and only two teams were qualified from the Big East and Fike  16-0 on the season had little trouble winning it's opening round Match 8-1 over Ledford.  They don't play again until the second round on May 5th.  Southern Nash as the # two seed from the Big East lost to Western Alamance 5-1and failed to advance to round two.
This weekend begins the process of the individual players  advancing in the playoffs so no teams are involved.

Last weekend when the Big East held their conference tennis tournament Northern Nash's  Tremel Davis   won the singles title to be the conference champion in singles.  The duo from Fike of Reid Harris-Sunny Sandhu won the doubles.

Brian Goodwin is playing baseball again but not at AAA Syracuse for the Washington Nationals.  He is playing in AA Harrisburg.  There are many times when players are injured and are sent to the minors to get in shape before being called back up.   This is what is happening here since Brian has not played since mid-July last year because of injury.  Six games played Brian is hitting 318.  It won't be long before he is sent back to Syracuse.

Hobbs Johnson is 2-0 at Buloxi Ms after winning earlier this week.  His ERA is 1.68.  Those type numbers if they continue will send Hobbs to AAA by season end.

Holy Gryphons Batman

Three weeks ago last night Northern Nash made Rocky Mount High School baseball team embarrass themselves in a 7-0 loss to drop the Gryphons to 2-3 the first time around the conference standings.  Sometimes getting embarrassed like the teenage boy in Baltimore getting plastered by his mother's  chasing him out of the riot area  you learn something.  I never want that to happen again.

Today playing 50 hours before the schedule game to beat the incoming Rain Rocky Mount collected only five hits but two drove in runs and they beat Northern 2-1 in front of a very loud crowd pulling for their teams.  Rocky Mount having scored in a conference game held true to form winning in every conference game in which they scored. 

Northern had a big chance to take a big lead in the first scoring once in the first off a Tyler Barrett single driving in Nick Vester.  Gryphon Starter David Harrison wiggled off the hook retiring the Knights holding them to one run despite having the bases loaded when the inning finished.

Derrick Carter struggled with his location for much of the game but held a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third when Forest Bell singled, Josh Carter walked and David Harrison delivered a two out single  scoring Bell and  two batters later Battle Shannon delivered another single with  Carter scoring and the third out was made at third to end a possible bigger Gryphon rally.

Derrick Carter pitched six innings and is the hard luck loser. Any pitcher who only gives two runs and five hits deserves to win but not tonight.  Sophomore David Harrison went the distance scattering seven hits and the last two innings Northern batters made good contact but the Rocky Mount defense was not about to get embarrassed this night 

Rocky Mount clinches second at 6-4 and gets a bye in Monday night's first night of the Big East tournament.  Northern will draw third regardless of the outcome of the Fike-Hunt game on Friday night due to the fact Northern beat Hunt twice by 8-0 scores in both games.  Northern will play Southern Nash who lost in extra innings to Nash Central 3-2 tonight.  That leaves Nash Central in the four/five game Monday pending the outcome of the Friday Hunt-Fike game.  Both teams split during the regular season.

Nash Central having won two in a row is on a roll and who would get that home game Monday  could be Big.  Fike and Hunt have decide to wait out the rain Friday and that will now be the last conference game of the year.  Fike and Rocky Mount get byes Monday and Fike will play the Hunt/Nash Central winner Tuesday and Rocky Mount will wait on the Northern/Southern winner.  The championship will be played next Thursday with every game on the field of the higher seed.

Gryphons Score Equal Win

TAKING NO CHANCES:  Impending rain heading our way for Thursday and Friday morning Friday night's Northern Nash -Rocky Mount baseball and softball games have been moved to 4:30 today.  The soccer match will be at 5:00pm


 Rocky Mount held true to their Big East season tonight at Southern Nash.  Blake Helms drove in three runs and Josh Carter collect three hits as Rocky Mount beats Southern Nash 6-0.  He not only hit the ball but Blake Helms was a big man on the mount tonight as he has numbers pitching that you have to go back to Benton Moss days at Rocky Mount to see these type numbers.

Helms pitches a complete game shutout gives up only one hit walks only two batters but on this night struck out 15.  The Gryphon defense only had to make six outs as Helms took care of the rest as the Gryphons go to 5-4 while Southern Nash drops to 2-7.

The first game of great interest to Rocky Mount was at Nash Central where Hunt was tied with Rocky Mount for third and Nash Central was tied with Southern Nash for last at 2-6. Tonight Nash Central breaks a six game losing streak in the Big East knocking Hunt to fourth Place beating the Warriors 6-2.  Hunt falls to 4-5 while Nash Central ups their record to 3-6.

The final game of the night was at Fike where Fike with a victory would claim the Big East regular season championship and Fike held serve winning at home 5-3 over Northern Nash.  The victory gets Fike to 8-1 while Northern Nash falls to 5-4 setting a showdown game at Rocky Mount Friday for the number two seed and a bye in next week's Big East Tournament.

The lost Friday for either RM/NN could  fall into a tie with Hunt  who must beat Fike Friday to force a tie between RM/NN loser.  The Rocky Mount /Northern Nash winner will be guaranteed a playoff spot where the loser will get third and has to hope for nobody behind them in the standings win the tournament knocking out the third seed.

Fike                   8-1
Northern            5-4
Rocky Mount.    5-4
Hunt                   4-5
Nash Central.     3-6
Southern             2-7

Jaguar /Knight Becoming a Scarlett Knight

Former Northern Nash and Rocky Mount Prep basketball player Deshawn Freeman who for the past two years has played at Hutchinson Junior College and this past season led Hutchinson to the final eight in JUCO basketball has signed a letter of intent to play his junior and senior years of college  at Rutgers University in Piscataway NJ.

Freeman's good fortune comes after a Rutgers player transferred opening up a scholarship for Freeman.  This past season Hutchinson went 26-8 while Freeman averaged 19.2 points and 9.5 rebounds.  Freeman as a senior at Rocky Mount Prep led the Jags to the 1-A state championship game  in 2013.

The weather forecast is for warmer weather and sunny skies this week as Big East Baseball heads into the last week.  Only three teams are guaranteed spots in the state playoffs  and depending where you are in the standings what your objectives will be this week.  Next week there  will be a Big East tournament and like basketball that third spot is in jeopardy because as many one runs games in this league this year fifth place could win the tournament and knock third out of the playoffs.

Fike  7-1:  Both games this week are with a top four teams but all they need to do is win one to finish first in the regular season.  Two losses could drop them in a tie for first but regardless this week they get a bye in the first round of the conference tournament.  Tuesday they host Northern Nash 5-3.  This is for the conference championship.  A Fike win and Friday against Hunt 4-4 is meaningless to Fike other than it is their top rival.

Northern Nash:  5-3:  Tuesday game is a must if the Knights want to repeat as conference regular season champs and even then must beat Rocky Mount and get help from Hunt.  A loss and then their Friday game at Rocky Mount will be a battle to stay in top three.  So the Knights are the only team that can still finish first besides Fike but they must win both games this week and get help from Hunt.

Hunt 4-4:  Starts the week off at Nash Central on Tuesday and finish off the regular season hosting rival  Fike on Friday.  Like Rocky Mount two losses could still fall to 6th and two wins could climb to 2nd  and get a bye in next week's conference tournament.  Second through sixth still up in the air before this week starts.

Rocky Mount 4-4:  Tuesday a trip to Southern Nash a team the first time around went 12 innings with before winning.  Finishing top three is about as good as it will get for the Gryphons and beating Southern is a must if third is a possibility.  Good chance the Gryphons face Overman the Firebird's best pitcher and Derrick Carter Friday.  If a 4-4 record is true of Rocky Mount then they will get shutout once this week and win one.

Southern Nash 2-6:  Host Rocky Mount on Tuesday and travel to Nash Central on Friday.  They could finish last and if all the needs to happen happens they could jump into a 4 way tie or to some degree tie for third.  Whole lot has to fall Southern's way and most of it is out of their control except their two games.

Nash Central 2-6:  they have lost six straight games in conference and have been in all six right down to the end.  Host Hunt Tuesday and Host Southern Nash on Friday.  Like Southern still have a shot at third place if all the pieces to the puzzle fall their way by winning both games this week and getting help from others.

College Gryphons Having Historic Years

Benton Moss pitched eight innings on Sunday giving up two hits walked a couple and struck out six.  His six strike outs moves him in to rarified air at the University of North Carolina.  He becomes only the fourth pitcher in UNC history to strike out 300 batters in a career.  He trails only Andrew Miller, Alex White, Patrick Johnson then it's Benton Moss.

His eight innings of work was good enough to earn his sixth victory of the year 6-0 and  move him into 9th place on the all time wins list with 25.  Eight innings two hits, two walks and six K's and zero runs which lowers his ERA to 2.77 on the year.  He has struck out 51 batters in 48 innings of work this season.

The three game series with Boston College Carolina pitching  gave up just one run over the weekend and moved the Tar Heels into a really good position into making the ACC Tournament with a 13-10 record with two weekend series left on the season.

Collins Cuthrell failed to hit a home run this weekend which was the last game of the year and at this point he is the all time leading home run hitter in UNC Pembroke history for a season with 25 breaking the record that was 16.  He is one short of the Peach Belt Record of 26 but he will have next week's conference tournament to at least tie or maybe break the record.  He finishes the season hitting 441 which is top 20 in D II baseball.  Will have to wait to see if the 25 homeruns winds up finishing first as D II stats will be out Monday afternoon when all this past weekend series stats included.

Last week I questioned Hobbs Johmson's first two starts whether he was On a pitch count or not.  His first start lasted only 2.1 innings.  Come to find out there was a rain delay and after the delay he did not comeback to the mound.

If he continues to pitch the way he has started the season AAA here we come.  His last outing he got his first win of the season to go to 1-0 and I his three starts has pitched 11.1 innings and his ERA is .087.  Those are numbers that get you to the next level quick.  We all know how ever this early in the year one bad outing and the numbers fall apart.

Brian Goodwin still has not played this season for the Syracuse Chiefs.

A Tradition Ends

During Coleman-Pitt Post 58 baseball season last year I told Joe Bell Athletic Officer that at the end of last season I would not be back as PA announcer.  I have reached the point in life where still not yet retired a full day at work and several nights at the ball field per week during the summer there is not enough time to recover before the alarm goes off every morning at 5am.  Little did I know then that 2014 just might be the end of Rocky Mount American Legion Baseball.

The year was 2004 and just about all of the Legionnaires who help run Post 58 baseball were getting older and their desire to be at the ball park all summer brought about a decision to fold baseball.  Grady Griffin at the time 76 years old took it upon himself to not let Post 58 baseball die.  He financed out of his pocket and took up tickets and got any help he could to keep Legion Baseball in Rocky Mount.  One of those who Grady  found help from was Joe Bell who took over the operation several years back.

Shoecase baseball using the tactic that if you wanted to be seen by colleges and pro scouts travel league ball was the place to be.  It was a high cost for families who thought the athletic scholarships in college were possible but very little coaching occurs in travel ball.  It took many players who should be in Legion away.  Just in the last ten years alone Rocky Mount has qualified for the State tournament three times.  If every player who played travel had of been playing legion Rocky Mount could have won the state championships or two along the way and every college coach in American would have seen them play at a much lower cost to the families.

Today another source nips at the heels of Legion baseball. Scholastic summer leagues.  This is where high school coaches can keep their high school teams together and play against other high schools during the summer and not violate  out of season practice rules.  This seems to be the straw that is
breaking the camels back.

I will say in the past five years making a legion schedule has become increasingly difficult to do.  We have seen New Bern give up Legion. There was one season where New Bern couldn't get enough players to continue in the playoffs.  Recently Elizabeth City, Edenton, Windsor and Ahoskie if they were suppose to travel here tonight they didn't know until time to leave whether enough players would be available to even travel here for a game.

Now that it is time for Hank Jones  Post 58 coach to be making contact with potential players for  this years team Post 58 is finding that interest even to try out is not there.  The decision has been made no legion team in 2015.  Rocky Mount doesn't want to even try to have to go through what others tried.  Can we get enough to play today.

  It is a sad end to one of the great American institutions in America.  American Legion baseball started in 1925.  I am not even sure that those around can even remember what year Legion started in Rocky Mount.  Even our city can take some of the blame for the demise of baseball in Rocky Mount.  Like Wilson Rocky Mount's Memorial Stadium was a high class baseball park in it's hey day.  The mid 80's faced with remodeling a rusting stadium the city decided  to tear it down while Wilson remodeled

Today Fleming Stadium has hosted College baseball regionals.  Many National baseball championships and Fleming  is host to a college baseball team during the summer.  Today the city of Rocky Mount wants to ram a downtown community center down your throat with 5,000 seats and no parking.  Between your light bill paying for a nuclear plant that Rocky Mount has never received any power from  to tearing down a baseball treasure the City of Rocky Mount hardly ever makes  the right decision.  They have a wonderful little league complex which from now to October will be brimming with little leaguers every weekend.  Yet, not a high class ball field for anybody over 15 years of age.  So the city too has to take some blame for the demise of Legion baseball

There is no doubt that in order to have progress traditional things disappear.  Every family in the world use to hang the wash out on a clothes line until the clothes dryer was invented.  Now you can hardly find a clothes pin in any store.  Progress,  if there is not going to be a place to play ball in Rocky Mount for the older kids it won't be that long before the little league fields will have grass growing in the parking lots just like all the cotton mills that dot the Rocky Mount landscape.

Progress, I like most of it until it takes away those things I enjoy.